LNWR 19in Express Goods Class

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) 19in Express Goods Class, otherwise known as the Experiment Goods Class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives. They were essentially a smaller wheeled version of the Whale's Experiment Class^[1] and were an early attempt at a mixed traffic engine.

LNWR 19-inch Goods
No. 285 in photographic grey livery without tender
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer George Whale Builder Crewe Works Serial number 4600–19, 4640–59, 4690–4769, 4790–4819, 4870–89 Build date 1906–1909 Total produced 170
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-0  • UIC 2′C n2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 3 in (0.991 m) Driver dia. 5 ft 2+1⁄2 in (1.588 m) Wheelbase 26 ft 8+1⁄2 in (8.141 m) Axle load 16 long tons (16.3 t) Adhesive weight 44 long tons (44.7 t) Loco weight 63 long tons (64 t) Tender weight 37 long tons (37.6 t) Total weight 100 long tons (101.6 t) Tender type three axle Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 6.6 long tons (6.7 t) Water cap. 3,600 imp gal (16.4 m3) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 25 sq ft (2.3 m2) Boiler pressure 175 psi (1.21 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 144.3 sq ft (13.41 m2)  • Tubes 1,840.5 sq ft (170.99 m2)  • Total surface 1,984.8 sq ft (184.39 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Joy Valve type Balanced slide valves
Career Operators London and North Western Railway → London, Midland and Scottish Railway → British Railways Power class LMS: 4F Nicknames Experiment Goods Withdrawn 1931–1950 Disposition All scrapped

No. 2000 at Euston Station with tender

Career

The engine was developed under the direction of George Whale, the then Chief mechanical engineer of the LNWR. The goal was to create a powerful locomotive for express freight service that would also be suitable for passenger trains. Following the great success of the Precursor Class and the Experiment Class for passenger service, Whale designed a freight or mixed-traffic version of the Experiment Class in 1906, known as the 19in Express Goods.^[2]

Crewe built 170 engines between 1906 and 1909. The LNWR reused numbers from withdrawn locomotives, so the numbering was haphazard.^[3]

The locomotives were most useful engines and, in addition to their primary role in express freight service, were also employed on passenger excursion trains. On occasion, they served as pilot engines for heavy express services on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), particularly on the challenging section between Carlisle and Shap Summit.^[1]

All passed onto LMS ownership in 1923. The LMS gave them the power classification 4F. The LMS renumbered them into the more logical series 8700–8869. Withdrawals started in 1931. British Railways acquired three 8801/24/34 in 1948, but all were withdrawn by 1950 before they could receive their allocated numbers 48801/24/34. None were preserved.